RAB Source Entry 1- Dhanesh

Question: 

How does college debt affect students’ future?

Proposal:

This topic interests me because I wonder how many students feel having to pay off a debt and then being able to spend money on things they want. Not only that, but I want to understand why I should avoid borrowing money that can lead to debt.  Additionally, I want to be able to inform and educate others on why it’s important to choose the right option. I know that college debt can prevent a person from achieving their aspirations. It can cause people to take on more stress and anxiety as well. Lastly, having debt can impact your credit score which plays a pretty important role in your life. Some points I plan to explore are how you can prevent college debt, the effects it can have on you financially, and your life goals.

Part 1: MLA citation 

Liu, Jennifer. “70% of College Seniors with Student Debt Say Looming Repayments Will Impact Their Career Plans.” CNBC, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2023, www.cnbc.com/2023/08/29/70percent-of-college-seniors-with-loans-say-debt-will-influence-their-career.html. 

Part 2: Summary

In the article, “70% of College Seniors with Student Debt Say Looming Repayments Will Impact Their Career Plans”, Jennifer Liu speaks about how college seniors are being affected by the recent student loan forgiveness plan being shot down. Liu introduces a survey done by Handshake, that resulted in 70% of the students saying their debt will be a factor as to what job they choose. Many are looking for jobs with a high-paying salary and benefits that help them pay off their debt. Not only have students been looking for a high-paying job, but they have also been looking toward doing side gigs or work to help them settle their debt. Additionally, students have been claiming that they are mentally tired from school and are beginning to worry if they will carry on this habit when they start working. Many have said that they are looking into jobs where the employer will let them be flexible and step out to take care of any life-related issues. 

Part 3: Reflection

I agree with the point that Liu brings up when she mentions “a growing burnout problem”. As a student in college myself who works part-time, balancing your education and job is difficult. Going to work after school is exhausting as you sit down for hours in school and then working for another couple of hours gets frustrating off a couple hours of sleep. Secondly, being a first-year college student also puts a lot of stress on me and has led to my lack of motivation at work or sometimes in school. Not only have I gone through this but many of my friends also tell me how it is exhausting to work and come to school.

Part 4: Rhetorical Analysis 

The genre of the article used is a news piece. The purpose of writing the article is to inform the challenges the class of 2024 has to face due to student loans. The intended audience is college students and recent graduates. The writing style of the article is informative and conversational. The author uses an empathetic tone and pathos to help relay the main point. The use of quotes and insight from experts and individuals helps to understand why pathos is used. Jennifer Liu is a lead work reporter for CNBC’s Make It. Liu is also a member of the Asian American Journalist Association and has her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. CNBC is recognized as the world leader in business news that provides real-time financial market coverage as well as business content. An average of 355 million people per month utilize CNBC.

Part 5: Notable Quotables

“Just over half of next year’s college graduates expect to carry student loan debt, and within that group, almost 70% say their debt will influence the jobs they consider after graduation.”(Liu)

“More than 40% of college seniors expect to pursue gig or freelance work after graduation, with nearly a third saying they’ll do it on top of a full-time job.”(Liu)

“Concerns about that debt, and logging more working hours to pay it off, could exacerbate a growing burnout problem.”(Liu)

“Many of today’s college seniors say it’s ‘deeply important their future employer offer work-life balance and mental health support.'”(Liu)

“Williams says employers already recruiting for the next crop of early-career talent should ‘think about needs this class has and double down — communicate programs you have for loan repayment and mental health benefits.'”(Liu)